ASSE Creates OSHA Reform Blueprint
Amid a political change, ASSE has crafted a blueprint that highlights priorities and the vision for OSHA.
The American Society of Safety Engineers has created an OSHA Reform Blueprint, an eight-page document detailing priorities and a vision for OSHA amid a sweeping political change. The proposal calls for OSHA to emphasize the management of risk, sharpen focus on productivity, and fill regulatory gaps as the agency looks to evolve.
"Every change in our nation's leadership provides an opportunity to consider better ways of protecting American workers," said ASSE President Thomas Cecich, CSP, CIH. "With more than 100 years of experience in safety leadership, ASSE is proposing innovative approaches to improve how occupational safety and health is practiced and regulated in the United States."
The blueprint has been vetted by safety professionals across a number of industries, according to ASSE.
"These proposals are grounded in what ASSE's 37,000 safety and health professionals have learned on the front lines of protecting workers," Cecich said. "We're confident we can help OSHA and Congress improve the regulatory oversight for occupational safety and health."
One plank of the blueprint calls for expanding OSHA's use of consensus standards and negotiated rulemaking, and another element is providing coverage for all public workers.
"This blueprint can be the start of a deep and important conversation about creating a new OSHA that works more effectively for workers and employers," Cecich said.